Campaign launch
Formal launch
The Campaign will be launched at the Town Hall on Friday 7th March, 11.30am - 12.15pm.
We are priviledged to having with us Arsene Sourabie, a Fairtrade dried mango producer from Burkina Faso.
Arsene will also be visiting Wyke Primary School and the Christian Aid Lent lunch before travelling on to Shaftesbury and Wimborne.
Fairtrade bananas will be eaten at both the launch event and at the Christian Aid Lent lunch in support of the world record attempt to have the most people eating Fairtrade bananas - "Go bananas for Fairtrade!", a nationwide event.
The visit of Arsene Sourabie
Arsene is from Association WOUOL in Burkina Faso.
Arsene is a technician working in Association WOUOL's mango drying factories. He also owns land on which he cultivates mango trees. Most of his working hours are taken up with training farmers and mango processors who work in the drying factory.
Arsene is the eldest son of a large family. He is 33 years old, and is the father of a young daughter himself.
Burkina Faso has one of the lowest GDP per capita incomes in the world: $1,200, and it is one of the poorest nations of the world. Agriculture represents 32% of its gross domestic product and occupies 80% of the working population. WOUOL is a development association of 2000 rural members located in the West of Burkina Faso in Beregadougou near Banfora. In addition to mango, their farmer members cultivate: Maize, Fonio, Cassava, Pineapple, Jatropha, Figs, Lemons, Limes, Papaya, Guava, Moringa, Citronella and Palms. Women members are also experimenting with making little caramel bars with cashew and sugar for local sale. WOUOL also make cashew butter. Mango brings three fold benefit to the members of WOUOL.
How has Fairtrade helped?
WOUOL has invested their premium in a number of schemes including:
- small loans scheme for members and employees – used to purchase bicycles to make the journey to work easier;
- purchase of gas cookers for their homes;
- help with payment of school fees
- construction of a canteen for employees
- construction of a cereal bank – rice and maize grown by members can be safely stored when prices are low then sold when prices rise during the off season
- construction of two bore holes for safe, clean water
- contributions of funds to the health centre
- payment of teachers’ salaries and provision of teaching materials for free adult literacy and French classes which
- are open to everyone.
